Photographic washing-box.



N. G. MERRILL.

PHOTOGRAPHIO WASHING BOX. APPLIQATION FILED mm: 1, 1907.

934,33 1 Patented Sept. 14, 1909. 2 SHEETS-BHEBT 1.

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PHOTOGRAPHIU WASHING BOX.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 1, 1907: 934,33 1 Patented Sept. 14, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

NATHANIEL C. MERRILL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PHOTOGRAPHIC WASHING-BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL C. Mnn= RlLL, acitizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Photographic lVashing-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to baths or washing boxes for photographic negatives and prints and has for its object a simple and etlicient device in which one or more negatives or prints may be evenly and quickly developed as will be more fully described in the following specification, set forth in the claims and illustrated in the drawings accompanying this application where like reference characters are used to designate the same parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved bath and rack. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rack for holding the negatives. Fig. t is a perspective view of the film or print holder.

This device is an improvement over the common type washing boxes and is adapted to,overcome some of the imperfections of those in common use. It comprises a rectangular box of sheet metal or thin material with a bottom 5 depressed along its length and a horizontal bottom 6 with perforations 7 of corresponding sizes, the space between the two bottoms being triangular in cross section.

At one end of the box is a supply tube 8 and funnel 9 through which water is sup plied to the triangular space between the two bottoms where it freely flows from one end to the other and then uniformly rises through the perforations 7 into the box.

The top edge of the box is provided with overflows 10 which are shown at each end but which may be placed as found con venient and the box is supported at its bot-- tom by wire legs 11 at each end. For convenience in packing, the funnel and tube may be made detachable.

\Vhile the negative plates are being washed they are held vertically in a frame made up of wire end pieces 12, best shown in Fig. 3, and of a width equal to the inside of the box. These frames are united by rods 14 and horizontal frames 15 having on their inner faces crimped wires 16 which are adapted to hold the plates in their vertical Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 14, 1999. Application filed June 1, 1907.

Serial No. 376,865.

position when being subjected to the action of the water. The negatives are inserted vertically in the waves of the wire, whose depth on each side is ust sul'iicient to receive a plate of standard size.

Such a rack as above described is hardly suitable to hold celluloid or similar films and to accommodate same a holder 17 is pro vided made up of sheet metal and having wings 18 whose breadth is equal to the space between the depressions of the crimped wires, and on each side of the plate 17 is a frame 19 of a horizontal member and sev eral vertical pieces 20 projecting a short distance beyond the face of the plate to form a pocket for the reception of the film or print while being washed.

When the water is admitted to the space below the perforated bottom it gradually rises through the holes and around the plates or films carrying with it any chemicals or remains of the developing or fixing solutions and carrying same out of the overflows 10.

The holder 17 is readily manipulated by means of the upper extension 21 which extends above the top of the box when the holder is placed therein.

In the construction and use of this device and its adjuncts various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the essential features described.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the class described, the combination of a washing box, with a rack mounted therein, said rack comprising a pair of vertically disposed end frames, a plurality of horizontal frames conforming to the outline of the washing box and secured to the end frames, a crimped wire on each horizontal frame extending around the inside thereof, the crimps of the wires on the horizontal frames being disposed vertically in line with each other to receive the edges of plates or plate holders, and rods connecting the end frames together at their hottoms, said end frames being of such height as to project out of the receptacle to constitute handles. 2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a washing box, with a rack removably mounted therein, said rack having horizontal frames disposed in spaced relation, crimped wires on the horizontal frames and extending inwardly, plate holders secured in place by the crimps of the said wires, each plate holder consisting of a plate having side extensions and adapted to engage in the recesses formed by the crimps and the upper end of the plate being formed into a grip, and plate-holding pockets at opposite sides of the plates and formed by 'a horizontal. wire secured to the plate and a plurality of vertical Wires secured to the horizontal wire and to the plate adjacent the bottom thereof.

3. In a device of the class described, a washing box having a trough-shaped bottom, a perforated false bottom disposed horizontally over the cross-shaped bottom, a vertically-extending filling pipe having its lower end communicating with the space between the two bottoms and having its upper end disposed above the top of the box, a funnel on the upper end of the filling pipe, overflow spouts arranged in the box at a point below the top of the said pipe, and U- shaped wire legs at the ends of the box and having their upright members secured to the corners.

In testimony whereof, my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NATHANIEL G. MERRILL. lVitnesses D. V. GOULD, JAMES F. DUHAMEL. 

